It is generally recognized that exercise and good nutrition contribute to maintaining a healthy body. In recent years, many individuals have become involved with various exercise programs which include running, swimming, and weight lifting as part of the regimen. Exercise requires the individual's muscles to move the body weight and any additional weight from one position to another. Such movement requires work. Frequent, routine workouts over a period of time cause the muscles to become stronger. The exercises increase the individual's stamina, increase cardiovascular endurance, and build and tone various muscle groups.
Weight lifting for body-building or general exercise has increased in popularity as well. Various weight lifting programs are available including the use of free weights, stationary weight apparatus, and use of weights during other exercise. For instance, joggers sometimes use ankle or wrist weights to increase the dead-weight load on the body while running. As explained above, muscles increase in strength with routine workouts. Accordingly, a typical weight lifting program for body-building periodically increases the load that the exerciser is working against. The increase in load enables the exerciser to continue to obtain meaningful and useful body-building results from his exercise.
As discussed above, some exercisers use ankle or wrist weights. These weights are typically strap-on belts available in a variety of weights such as one, three or five pound weights. For many jogging or aerobic exercise programs, these strap-on weights are appropriate and no increase or change in the weight is necessary for the exerciser to obtain the beneficial results sought. However, should the exerciser wish to increase the weight load, it is necessary for additional weight belts to be purchased. Because the belts are generally low weight, a number of belts may be necessary to add a significant weight to the exerciser. Such relatively light-weight devices would not be appropriate for an exerciser engaged in body-building or other heavy-weight workouts.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a weight apparatus which an exerciser can use to selectively add different dead-weight loads to his body during exercise in a weight lifting program.